Nymph of the Sakura tree
by reflecting
Summary: On a walk into the old forest beside his castle, the young lord stumbles upon someone, or rather, something. Short ItaSaku one-shot. Drabble turned a bit too long to be called such.


_**A/N:** Hello! Fourth ItaSaku thing I've written (I think...). This was TOTALLY unplanned. I actually drew a picture first, and the story came to mind afterwards. I had intended for it to be just a drabble, but it turned out to be a long drabble...or a short one-shot._

_Hope you enjoy it anyway! :)_

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**Nymph of the Sakura tree**

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The young lord let his feet move him noiselessly through the dark forest as his red eyes scanned the area for any threats. Senses alert, but figure relaxed and seemingly languid in its proud posture, he slowly let the many troubles of the day disappear along with the fading light coming from his castle as he travelled further into the mass of trees. It had been a long day; time had dragged on mercilessly slow and left him with a piercing migraine. Being the lone ruler of the lands his father had left him, the youthful lord had quite a few problems to deal with daily. Assassins – too wary of his hard required reputation of an inhuman warrior, possessing almost demon skills – set after his little brother; the only one left who shared his blood, the only one he did not wish dead. Arrogant, narrow-minded old fools complained about his rule, dared to imply he was too weak to protect his people. The list was long, and not one he cared to check off in his mind. The cool air of the spring's night was all too soothing, as was the soft, melodic sounds of the nature surrounding him.

His castle was now nowhere in sight as he turned his head to glance over his shoulder, and only trees, stones and bushes lied ahead of him. The path he was walking was the one he usually travelled upon during nights like these, but tonight, he was going to continue onwards instead of turning left at the small crossroad up ahead. The simple route leading in a circle would be too short for the quiet, sizzling frustrations he needed to vent. The small, wobbly path leading into the heart of the forest would make for a better walk, he mused.

Passing the crossroad, and moving onward, the young lord began to take notice of the slightly unnerving lack of moonlight and mischievous twinkles of stars. The trees were growing denser, he noted after only a few minutes' walk away from his usual route, and his previous relaxed and smooth posture quickly tensed ever so slightly. The thick darkness around him were shifting as he moved, and the dark tint of green and blue faded into pitch black only a few meters before him. It wasn't until a generous amount of time had passed, and the chill had finally grown enough to cause goose bumps on his pale skin, that the lord began to feel an unfamiliar sense of unease. Gone was the slight wariness of walking alone in a dense, wild forest at night, replaced by something eerie that made him pause in his steps for less than a minute before he stubbornly continued on. Whatever lied before him needed to be seen if it dared cause him such discomfort, even if it was very slight.

Nostrils flaring, he took in the generous aroma of an old forest in spring. He noticed the previous chill in the air was all but gone, and as his red eyes closed to dangerous slits and focused in a sharp glare before him, he was positive the foreboding darkness of the forest were thinning, just like the trees. He would call it impossible, unless he was heading towards a glade, because this was surely well into the densest part of the forest. However, what made the feeling of unease increase was the simple fact that he had wandered down this path many nights before in the past, and not once had he stumbled upon something even close to a glade this far into the woods. He clenched his hands for a second before relaxing them and letting them resume their lazy swing by his hips. His sword safely tucked in his obi, the young lord found himself letting out a small, quiet growl at his reaction. He should not be so surprised, when this old, old forest had had many folklores and legends told by not only by the village people, but also from his former great clan whom was rumored to be the offspring of a forest demon and his human lover. But there were mostly tales of spirits, demons, witches and evil creatures that feasted on whoever dared to stray too far away. Lost soldiers who fed on the innocence of women, accompanied by equally hungry sorceresses who gladly stole the hearts of the poor mortal men that fell for their deceiving beauty. He absently wondered what he might find as the moonlight finally crept through the thinning roof of the forest; all the while fighting the slight amusement such superstition brought him.

Titling his head up to observe the strange tint the moon's usually silver liquid light had taken, the young lord almost failed to notice a significant change that occurred the moment his eyes left the paths before him. If it hadn't been for his already alert senses, or sharp mind and red, demon eyes, it might've been lost to him. But as he stilled, and carefully observed from the corner of his eyes, he saw he was now standing in the middle of the glade he knew should not be there. Where there had been trees surrounding him, were now simply grass, bushes and flowerbeds. Carefully, slowly, he brought his head down again and let his eyes roam the area, stopping only to take in a wavering, weak light by a thin, young-looking Sakura tree. As his sight focused, the red of his eyes burning clearer in concentration, he swore the light was growing. A ripple through the air, as if it was water, had him drawing his sword in an instant. The ripples soon settled, but with the calm came a flash of light from the weak source he had been staring at so intently. It blinded him, the sudden burst of yellow and pink in the midnight blue surroundings. But as nothing attacked, and his inhuman eyes settled, he warily relaxed a bit. The light, he saw, was now the shape of a…woman? Blinking, he looked closer. The pink and the yellow had settled, and the more he stared, the closer he looked…the light faded into bright colors. Skin like peach, a dress like pollen and leaves; her hair like the petals of the young Sakura tree she leaned against. His eyes roamed her body, took in the colors, the shapes, until he reached her face. Pouty lips, button-nose like a child's, and eyes like pale, glittering emerald; twinkling with the same mischief he only saw in the stars. She was a beauty. He found himself unable to look away, to break the tender contact of her stunning eyes. And then, she spoke.

"You embarrass me, my lord. Since you entered here, your eyes have not left me."

A siren. Or perhaps a fairy? She could be nothing else. Her voice was smooth, quiet and pleasant like…flowers. He blinked, trying to lessen some of her shine but the image remained the same. He refused to acknowledge the urge to rub his eyes.

"My lady," he replied, bowing his head ever so slightly but not daring to let her out of his sight. "I apologize. It was not my intention; I merely came here for a nightly walk."

She smiled, leaning against the tree on her slim arms, and lifted a delicate foot playfully behind her. "This far into the woods, sire? And at such a time. Do you not know of the dangers, or are you simply seeking them out?"

He found himself smiling, equally amused by the situation as this strange woman-like creature appeared to be. "Why yes, my lady, I enjoy a stroll in the dark. I hold little fear for the dangers of these woods; however, you might have proved me wrong. Such beauty should rightfully scare any mortal man who stumbles upon it."

"Oh, my lord!" she sang out, giggling and swinging her leg up further behind her, drawing his attention to the see-through fabric of her thin dress as her knee bent. "Am I worthy of such praise, from a man who fearlessly enters a place like this? Tell me, sire, what is your name?"

Letting her first question slide, he answered with another bow; deeper this time. "I am Uchiha Itachi, fair lady. Might I ask what name you go by?"

"Uchiha Itachi, I am no lady," she said after a moment of silence where not even the forest made a sound. "I am Sakura."

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_I am a nymph, and you a demon._

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_**A/N:** Well yeah there you have it! Sorry for the crappy title, the lously story-line and the mushy content and concept. If you want to see the pic I did that inspired this, to to my deviantart page which is linked to on my profile._

_Thanks for reading! :D Please review! :)_


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